


Damn It, Daniel

by StutteryPrince



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, contains a lot of me making up things about Daniel's cult, daniel is an ass at first but he actually does start trying, daniel redemption, daniel's getting REDEEMED, david's still upset about what daniel did and he's not afraid to let daniel know it, i might hate him but this was too good of an idea to pass up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2018-12-06 14:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11602872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StutteryPrince/pseuds/StutteryPrince
Summary: When Daniel is put on probation and forced back to Camp Campbell because "it's the last place where he did legal shit", he has to learn how to live with the campers while gaining their trust at the same time. At first, this is because David passive aggressively threatened to call the police on him, but Daniel soon finds himself having fun with them and actually wanting and craving their trust and acceptance, even if he keeps telling himself that it's not what the Ancient Ones want. But maybe....maybe the Ancient Ones are wrong this time...?





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com

Everyone had been surprised when the police car rolled up and parked in front of the flagpole. David looked at each kid in turn, wondering if one of them had taken his phone and looked up something illegal and/or horrible enough to get the police sent here again. Despite his worry at the thought of possibly being arrested again. David walked up to the officer as she climbed out of the car, glaring inside the car for a moment before turning to David.

 

“Is there a problem, ma’am?”

 

“I’m here to drop off a convict on probation.”

 

David tilted his head in confusion. He hadn’t heard anything about the camp receiving a  _ convict _ of any kind! Then it slowly occurred to him that every phone in the camp had 911 and every other government service number blocked and any mail from them was immediately tossed, per an arrangement with the mailman.

 

The officer opened the back door and grabbed someone, pulling them out of the car with an annoyed sound. Eyes went wide and jaws dropped as the all too familiar man stepped out of the car, his blue eyes scanning over the camp with disgust and annoyance. There stood Daniel, dressed in his usual white clothing and his hands in front of him locked in a pair of handcuffs. The officer scoffed, not bothering to take in the absolute fear everyone had looking at the man, simply unlocking his cuffs and shoving his knife into his hands before climbing back in the cruiser and sticking her head out the window.

 

“This was the last place he was actually doing legal shit, so he’s your problem again.”

 

Before anyone could ask any more questions, she drove off as fast as she could.

 

Daniel fiddled with his knife for a moment, looking at it before he gazed up at the others. Before he could speak, David slid up next to him with a laugh that was too cheery to be real and slung his arm over his shoulder, pressing their cheeks together.

 

“Daniel!” He cheered in a sickeningly-sweet voice. “What are you doing here, friend?”

 

David’s hand tightened on his shoulder and Daniel winced a bit, trying to edge away from David, but he was being held in a way that prohibited that. 

 

“It’s a little strange that they let you out, huh? Seeing as what happened the last time you were here.”

 

David gave another hard squeeze and Daniel actually yelped, wrenching David’s hand off his shoulder and putting him at arms length as fast as possible. He gave him that same calm smile he always had, though he was surprised to see anger and hatred in those blueish-green eyes of his. Though he honestly couldn’t blame the counselor for harboring some negative feelings toward him, he  _ had _ tried to help the kids reach Awithout asking if David was okay with it first.

 

“Did you not hear her, David? Because this place was the last place I was legally given work, I was sent back here to be under house arrest.”

 

“Hold the fuck up.”

 

Max walked over to them, motioning for Daniel to kneel or at least lean down. When he didn’t and simply gave him a blank and confused look, Max groaned and took to climbing David like a tree, perching himself on the man’s shoulders so he could talk face to face with Daniel.

 

“The hell you mean house arrest? Don’t you have a family or something that you’re supposed to be with?”

 

Daniel shrugged. “I told them this is my home. Can’t reveal the place of my cult and endanger my real family, can I? The Ancient Ones would have my head!”

 

Max growled and looked like he was ready to pounce at Daniel, but David grabbed the boy off his shoulders and held him out in front of him.

 

“Come on now, Max! Like I always say, violence never solves anything.”

 

“He tried to kill us!”

 

David gave Daniel an sideways glance that caused Daniel’s heart to speed up with a slight panic before he focused back on Max. Just as David started to talk, Daniel cut in, feeling the sudden need to defend himself.

 

“I was  _ trying  _ to help you all reach Ascension! Paradise in the clouds! It was a noble sacrif-ACK!”

 

While Daniel was ranting at Max, he hadn’t notice that David had shifted the boy to one arm as he reached down to grab his hand. None of this was processed by Daniel until a sharp pain cut through his hand and his eyes snapped down to see David squeezing it  _ tightly.  _ It had never truly occurred to how strong the man was, remembering how firm their handshake was when they first met and how easily David had dragged Daniel into the cabin afterward.

 

“Now, Daniel.” David’s voice was calm, but his grip on Daniel’s hand was short of unforgiving. Daniel tried to pull his hand away, but David simply gave a yank that caused Daniel to grunt in pain and stop his attempts. “If you’re going to be here, you’re going to have to play nice, understand?”

 

Even though Daniel didn’t answer, David let go of his hand and bounced Max a bit to readjust him in his arms. Daniel hissed through his teeth as he tried to ease the pain, holding his hand by the wrist as he glared up at David.

 

“Head over to counselor’s cabin and we can get you reinstated, okay? Hurry up now, we have a bunch of fun activities today!”

 

If looks could kill, David would be cursed with the black plague with how hard Daniel was glaring at him. However, despite him looking like he wanted to gut David then and there, Daniel stood up straight and began trudging off toward the cabin, Max and David watching him go while everyone else scurried backwards and away from him.

 

“What the hell was that, David? I thought you treat him with all rainbows and kindness and shit.”

 

David hummed, seemingly ignoring Max’s question as he began to walk to the counselor’s cabin. He set Max down and told him to go play before he entered and shut the door behind him with more force than what necessary. He leaned against it, crossing his arms as he stared calmly at Daniel in the middle of the room.

 

_ “Well,” _ Daniel questioned. “Aren’t you gonna get out the papers to reinstate me?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

“Then what? You want an apology for trying to help the kids reach their full potential?”

 

“Eventually.”

 

Daniel scoffed, crossing his arms and cocking his hips.

 

“I won’t say sorry for trying to help children reach an endless paradise, David.”

 

David shrugged and crossed the room, pulling out the papers and beginning to sign them. Daniel stood behind him, tapping his foot and glaring at the floor. Slowly, the silence began to unnerve Daniel, the pale blond worrying at his lip the longer the quiet continued.

 

“What do you want from me,” he said after a second, burning holes into the back of David’s head.

 

Slowly, David set the pen aside and stood up, walking right up to Daniel. Daniel took a step back, but other than that he didn’t move from his place as David leaned in closer to him. David scanned him for a moment before leaning back and letting Daniel straighten his back out once more.

 

“Listen, Daniel,” though he had a nonthreatening tone, Daniel could still hear a bit of venom in David’s voice when he said his name, “I’ll put this simply. What you did to my kids is unforgivable. You tried to kill them.”

 

“I  _ tried _ to hel-”

 

“I’m not done talking, Daniel.” David said plainly and Daniel went quiet. “ _ You _ might think what you did was okay, but the twelve people here disagree in every way. None of us trust you, Daniel, not even me.”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened. Why did it….Why did it  _ hurt _ to hear that? Daniel clutched his shirt over his heart, wanting the feeling to go away and he wanted it to go away  _ now _ . He didn’t like it. Why were the Ancient Ones allowing him to feel like this? Damn Zeemuug, expelling his stupid negative emotions!

 

“S-So? All I need is my family’s trust. I don’t need  _ your  _ trust or any of  _ their  _ trust.”

 

“You do if you’re going to survive living here.”

 

Daniel glowered at him, silently asking him to explain.

 

“Without those campers trust, you won’t make it here. They may not entirely like or respect me, Daniel, but they trust me. You say them all playing out there, didn’t you? I organized that activity and they  _ trusted _ me enough to want to partake and Gwen  _ trusted _ me not screw it up.”

 

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “So what?”

 

“Well, without their trust,  they probably would have tried to kill me, for one thing. If you don’t gain the campers, Gwen’s, and my trust, Daniel, things won’t end good for you here. You’ll fight them and they’ll fight you, disrespect you, they won’t even want to be around you.”

 

Daniel still held his steadfastly held his glare at David, making him sigh.

 

“Let me put it how Max and Gwen would put it then. Pull that knife on one of my campers for any reason and I’m calling the police. And, trust me, if you don’t get them to trust you and you to trust them, I’m gonna have to call the police.”

 

“That’s a little presumptuous of you, David.” 

 

“Like I said,” David moved back to the desk. “I don’t trust you. I don’t trust that you won’t pull a knife on the kids.”

 

Daniel suddenly felt self-conscious holding the sacred ritual knife, looking at the crooked steel with a slight frown before he tucked his hand behind his back and stuffed the knife into his back pocket. Ugh, what were these stupid negative feelings? He had been feeling things that weren’t either calm or happiness since he stepped out of that car and it was really starting to bother him. The Ancient Ones didn’t like negative emotions and his soul be damned to afterlife without Ascension if he did something the Ancient Ones didn’t like.

 

“Fine. I’ll earn your trust. But just because I don’t want to go back to jail. Orange isn’t exactly a color the Ancient Ones approve of.”

 

“Good!” David signed the last of the papers before opening a drawer next to the desk and pulling out a green shirt just like his. “Then welcome to the Camp Campbell Counselor Team, Daniel!”

 

Daniel took the shirt slowly, eyeing the excited look on David’s face, though his hand was over his eyes to presumably give him privacy to change. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Daniel removed his white polo and slipped the green shirt on, tugging on the edge of it with one eyebrow raised. 

 

_ Please forgive me Ancient Ones _ , he prayed within his mind as he picked up his shirt and hung it on his arm.  _ I have to wear this awful color. If I had a choice, you know I would never betray the dresscode you hold so de- _

 

Daniel’s silent prayer was interrupted by David suddenly snatching him up in a hug that was unintentionally crushing his ribs.

 

“Look at youuu! All fit to start making friends!”

 

“Can’t…..breathe….”

 

“Oh, sorry!” David dropped him and Daniel inhaled deeply, eyeing the man with slight fear. Where was he hiding as this strength? 

 

“Oh, and by the way.” David held up the sacred ritual knife and Daniel felt his heart plummet, patting his back pockets to find them empty. So that was what the hug was really for, he knew there was some kind of ulterior motive to the physical affection. There always was. 

 

“You won’t be getting this back for a while.”

 

“How did you….?”

 

“Friend, I have been hanging out with these kids for months. They pickpocketed me so I learned how to pickpocket back, you know so I could easily get my keys and stuff back from them. Not that I’m particularly  _ proud _ of this skill of course, but you get my point.”

 

David flipped the knife in his hand for a moment before patting Daniel’s shoulder with a smile.

 

“Your paperwork’s all finished up so you can head out now! I’m sure this will all be easier than you think, Daniel! You just gotta try your hardest and you’ll see it’s not as horrible as you think!”

 

David gave Daniel’s shoulder a more reassuring and caring squeeze than he had prior before walking out of the cabin. Daniel watched him walk over to the campers, some of which waed to him or gave him a nod opposed to them moving away when he walked by. Noticing a mirror in the corner, he moved to stand in front of it, looking at the shirt on him and realizing how much of a contrast it had to his pale skin. His eyes drifted down to his beeping ankle monitor and he sighed.

 

Despite this, Daniel took a deep breath and stepped outside, trying to ignore the frightened and panicked looks of the campers as he closed the door behind him. Some of them dove behind David while others gave Daniel a glare like they wanted him to catch fire then and there and once again, Daniel sighed, but his neck cracked as he forced a smile onto his face.

 

The rest of the summer was gonna be a long one.


	2. Gwen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It had been two days since he had been brought back to this god forsaken camp and nothing was different from then than it was now. The kids avoided him like the plague and he could feel David’s eyes on him at every turn, but he continued to tell himself that he didn’t care."
> 
> That was until he began to act as a servant to Gwen, being at her beck and call. It's fine at first and Gwen loves not having to work anymore, but soon she grows creeped out and uncomfortable with Daniel. Daniel, thinking he's done something wrong, asks her and she confronts him about his behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was admittedly kinda fun! Also, if you think Daniel is crushing on Gwen, you're thinking wrong, pal.  
> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com  
> Also there's a blog coming out for this AU, but I can't reveal it yet cause it'll be all spoilery.

Daniel sat at a table in the messhall, his head supported by his hand on his cheek as he picked at the food in front of him. It had been two days since he had been brought back to this god forsaken camp and nothing was different from then than it was now. The kids avoided him like the plague and he could feel David’s eyes on him at every turn, but he continued to tell himself that he didn’t care. All David had said was that if he pulled a knife on of the kids, he would call the police, but David had taken the knife from him afterward! 

 

Daniel huffed through his nose, trying to ignore that weird feeling in his chest every time he thought about how much everyone distrusted him, but it simply continued to nip at him. He ground his teeth a bit as his hand gripped his shirt over his heart.

 

_ Think of the Ancient Ones. Think of the Ancient Ones. Think of the- _

 

“David, I got the pudding cups for these little demons! Come help me pass them out, damn it.”

 

Daniel’s head snapped up and a huge smile split his face, the man shooting up like he had been tasered. Gwen was pushing the door open with her back, struggling to balance the boxes of pudding cups of a variety of flavors in her arms. Daniel rushed up to her immediately, lifting the boxes out of her arms and swiveling so his back was against the door instead.

 

“Don’t worry, Miss Gwen! I’ve got it!”

 

“Oh, uh, thanks Daniel.”

 

“Anything for you, my queen.”

 

Gwen’s eyes went wide and she blinked, but seeing Daniel’s smile she decided that he was just joking and she tittered. Daniel’s eyes sparkled and he padded in after her, setting down the pudding cups on the table where the children were gathering. He organized them by flavor before tucking his hands behind his back, looking at Gwen for any sign of approval. When she gave him a thumbs-up, he bounced on his toes a little, biting his lip to keep from giggling.

 

“Uh, kids?”

 

Daniel turned his attention back to the children at the sound of David’s voice and tilted his head at the sight of them, all of them gathered around David and away from the table.

 

“D-Did he anything to the pudding, David,” Nerris asked, tugging at his pant leg.

 

“I’m sure Daniel hasn’t done anything to the pudding, Nerris.” David cast a look at Daniel. “It’s perfectly safe.”

 

“I don’t care what you say, David. I ain’t eating shit unless he backs the hell up,” Max demanded, pointing at Daniel.

 

Daniel crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, his neck cracking as his gaze fixed on Max once more. He opened his mouth to speak, but Gwen put a hand to his chest and shook her head, stepping in front of him.

 

“Kids, the pudding cups are still sealed and inside the packages. Nobody could have done jackshit to anything and besides,  _ I  _ went to go get the pudding. It’s fine, but if it’ll make you all feel better.” Gwen pushed on Daniel’s chest and forced him to back up a few paces. “He’ll stay by the doors the entire ti-”

 

Before she could even finish, Daniel had rushed to stand by the doors. He looked at her expectantly and she slowly gave him another thumbs-up, the cultist smiling with stars in his eyes as he sat down on the floor with his legs crossed Indian style. They all watched him for a moment before Gwen and David began handing out the pudding.

 

Once everyone was content with eating the pudding of their choice, Gwen and David took to leaning against the wall so they could watch everyone and keep them from choking. However, their attention shifted to Max when he walked up them, swirling his spoon in his half empty cup of vanilla pudding.

 

“Hey, you two.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“The fuck is up with Daniel?”

 

All three of them looked at Daniel, finding him still sitting in front of the doors. He had shifted into a different sitting position, leaning back on his hands with his legs extended and crossed over one another out in front of him. He caught sight of them and waved sweetly, but they could all tell it was for Gwen and Gwen alone.

 

“I’m….not sure actually.”

 

“Why does he keep doing stuff for you? He seems like he’s ready to kill David, but the moment Gwen shows up, he drops to his knees and starts sucking her dick.”

 

While David gave him a bit of a scolding stare for the statement, Gwen hummed with a finger to her chin. 

 

“Let me see something. Hey, Daniel!C’mere a sec.”

 

Daniel looked at her with wide eyes before shooting to his feet and stalking over to her.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Can you go get some water bottles for the kids? They’re in the counselor’s cabin.”

 

Daniel lit up and nodded, rushing out of the building and toward where he had been instructed. All three of watched, mouths agape and eyes wide.

 

“Holy. Shit,” Max said after a beat, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

“That’s….one way to gain someone’s trust a guess,” David mumbled to himself, still watching the window.

 

“Oh my god. He’s my own personal servant!”

 

Gwen cheered, jumping in the air a bit with an enthusiasm only David could exude. 

 

“Gwen, I didn’t think-”

 

“David!” She grabbed him by the shoulders. “He will do  _ whatever _ I tell him! This is absolutely perfect! I never have to work again! I can have Daniel do it for me!” She shook him, getting his face like she usually did when she was either excited or pissed at him.

 

“Miss Gwen!” Daniel’s excited voice sang out and she turned to see him standing at the open door with an entire package of water in his thin arms. “I got the waters like you asked!”

 

Gwen mouthed “Watch this!” to the David and Max before she turned to Daniel, who was practically skipping up to her.

 

“Thanks, Daniel! Just set them over there and then you can do whatever.”

 

Daniel nodded and did as he was instructed to, setting the waters down on the table before he sat back down in front of the doors. When Gwen gave him a much more enthusiastic thumbs-up than before, he donned a happy and elated smile to rival David’s. Gwen gestured to Daniel wildly, looking back at Max and David.

 

“This is amazing! How can you not say this is amazing?”

 

Daniel watched Gwen animatedly pace back and forth, smiling and talking to David and Max, and he couldn’t help but squeal a bit. He had made her happy! Daniel pat his hands on the ground with a pleased smile on his face, swaying from side to side a bit as he hummed to himself. He had  _ most  _ certainly pleased the Ancient Ones if he was allowed to feel this giddy about his actions.

 

Gwen looked at Daniel with a sparkle in her eyes at the thought of not working for the rest of the summer.

 

“This is gonna be  _ so  _ awesome!”

 

And for a while, it was! Daniel would wake her up every morning with breakfast in bed and her outfit for the day already laid out, hovering over her with a small and polite smile. It was weird at first, but all it took was a simple “Out.” to get him to stop it. He would fix her bed when she allowed him back inside and would walk her to the cabin door, opening it for her. He would tend to her every need and be there by her side in an instant whenever she called his name. He would do her work for her and she could simply sit back and watch Jerry Springer to her heart's content. All she had to do in return was give a thumbs-up or a smile and he’d be happy with himself.

 

But after a few more days of Daniel being at her beck and call, Gwen found herself slowly growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing day. She began to find Daniel’s constant presence something short of unnerving and she could always feel him watching her, waiting patiently for her to need him for anything. And today was no different.

 

“Miss Gwen!” Daniel called out with enough sweetness in his voice to kill someone.

 

Daniel smiled when he locked eyes with her, waving to her with smile that fell when she turned on her heels and began walking away. With a pout and a crack of his neck, he began to pad after her and she tried to speed up her steps, but he simply kept his pace and took longer strides to catch up. 

 

“Miss Gwen?”

 

He placed his hand on her shoulder and she stopped, turning to him sharply.

 

_ “Yes, _ Daniel?”

 

“Did…” Even though he was the taller one, he suddenly felt smaller under her glare. “Did I do something to upset you, my queen?”

 

Gwen’s eye twitched and she sighed roughly, putting a hand to her forehead in exasperation. Daniel let out a whimper of sorts as he watched this, his chest tightening as he folds in on himself further.

 

“Alright, Daniel, it was fun for the first few days, but now it’s fucking creepy. Why in the  _ hell _ do you  _ insist  _ on treating me like I’m some goddess?”

 

Daniel cocked his head in confusion and concern. Why was she so upset with him?

  
“Am I...Am I not supposed to?”

 

“Wha-! What do you mean ‘Am I not supposed to’? That just brings up more questions, Daniel!”

 

Daniel stared at her for a moment, still worried and confused, when it suddenly clicked. Gwen wasn’t around when he had tried to purify the camp! Of course she wouldn’t understand!

 

“Oh! Forgive me for not explaining, Miss Gwen.” He bowed at the hip. “I was raised to treat women with the utmost respect! If I so much as  _ thought  _ ill of my cult sisters, I was reprimanded until the thought was burned into my mind to treat women like goddesses, which they are! But don’t worry, the cult was in no way misandry, oh no! It was just how I was to act if I was to lead the cult one day!”

 

Daniel gave her a smile that he didn’t know she found absurdly creepy. He suddenly dropped to his knees, his hands tucked behind his back as he bowed his head.

 

“I am so sorry to have made you uncomfortable, Miss Gwen. I’ll accept whatever punishment you wish to give me for my wrongdoing toward you.”

 

Gwen’s eyes went wide and she waved her hands frantically.

 

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What the hell are you doing?”

 

“Aren’t you going to punish me?” Daniel looked up at her, tilting his head. “I messed up.”

 

“Daniel, what the  _ fuck?! _ Get up!”

 

Daniel did so, his head still tilted to the side as he looked at her. Gwen put her hands on Daniel’s shoulders and shook him lightly as she began to speak.

 

“Daniel, I don’t know who or where you were raised, but you need to knock that shit off right the hell now.  _ It’s. Weird. _ I’m not gonna punish you because of one mistake. I’m not gonna punish you at all! You’re human! You’re gonna make mistakes everyday of your life, Daniel.”

 

“But the Ancient Ones say mistakes are bad…” He spoke in a small voice.

 

“They are bad! But guess what? You get to learn from them! When you learn from your mistakes, you become a better person! So learn from this mistake, Daniel!”

She released him and he staggered a bit, catching his balance and looking at her. She crossed her arms and gestured to nothing loosely, Daniel raising one eyebrow.

 

“Tell me what you  _ just _ learned from this mistake, Daniel.”

 

“Oh! Um...” 

 

Daniel scanned the ground, bowing his head so she couldn’t see his eyes. He was deeply conflicted, his hand gripping his shirt over his heart. The Ancient Ones….he was always told that mistakes were bad, that they were another thing that Zeemuug made him do in an effort to take over his mind. He was always punishment when he made mistakes and he was told that it was the only way to cleanse himself of Zeemuug’s essence. But...here he was, being told that mistakes were going to be made but that they were fine and that he didn’t have to be punished for making them. And...And he was believing it. 

 

Why? Why did he believe her speech? Was it because it was her telling it to him? He could practically feel the Higher Ups scrutinizing and bitter gaze upon his body when he had figured out he had messed up, but Gwen’s words had chased the feeling away.

 

Suddenly, it clicked.

 

He trusted her.

 

He trusted Gwen.

 

Even though each smile and thumbs-up for each of his actions had been a reward in his eyes, he had come to trust that he would get one each time. He had come to trust seeing her at the messhall at 10:35 sharp with David pulling her behind him. He had come to trust that she would keep the kids from hurting him, though that green-haired one had slipped passed her a few times.  _ He trusted her. _

 

“Daniel? You okay there, buddy?”

 

“I learned…” He began slowly, closing his eyes and flexing his fingers. “...that following you around and taking every order you give me makes you uncomfortable.”

 

He opened one eye, looking at her like she would change her mind about the punishment, but she simply stood there.

 

“I learned that mistakes are okay…” She nodded and he finally relaxed a bit, looking up at her completely. “And that I won’t get punished for making them.”

 

“Aaaaand?”

“And that if I make a mistake, I can learn from it and be a...better...person?”

 

Gwen nodded and he beamed, smiling at her with a smile that she was certainly much more comfortable with. She pat his shoulder and turned, beginning to walk back toward the camp when she heard footsteps behind her.

 

“Daniel, you’re following me again.”

 

“Oh! Sorry!”

 

“It’s okay. You’re learning. I trust you’ll figure it sooner or later.”

 

Unknown to her, Daniel’s eyes lit up and his mouth feel open, his mind taking a second to fully process her words. 

 

_ I trust you’ll figure it out sooner or later. _

 

Trust.

 

She trusted him.

 

And he trusted her.

 

Daniel began walking back to camp himself, his hands behind his back as he began to think with a slight skip in his step. However, that happy walk went away as his mind came back to the cult. The Higher Ups would kill him if they found out he made a mistakes, let alone  _ multiple. _ And his death wouldn’t be a noble sacrifice for the Ancient Ones, it would be a murder, and- _ oh god the Ancient Ones. _ He wouldn’t be worthy of Ascension if they found out what he had done! Daniel began to panic a bit, shaking as he stopped in his tracks and his neck cracked loudly.

 

_ Oh god oh god oh god I won’t reach Ascension I won’t be able to enter Paradise oh god oh god _

 

He dropped to his knees to pray, but his neck cracked and he stopped halfway through putting his palms together. If he prayed with the presence of mistakes, the presence of  _ Zeemuug _ , still within him, he would be struck down where he prayed. Just when he thought he was about to throw up from all this panic and indecision swirling within him, he felt a hand on his back and suddenly Gwen was kneeling in front of him.

 

“You okay, Daniel?”

 

“I-I’m-I-I-!”

 

Daniel fell silent when she leaned forward and hugged him tightly, rubbing small circles on his back. Daniel’s arms stayed limp at his sides as tears started to form in his eyes. Wait, tears? God  _ damn it! _ Zeemuug wouldn’t leave him alone with these stupid and annoying emotions! He didn’t want to feel this way! It wasn’t what the Ancient Ones wanted and-

  
“Ssssh, Danny. It’s okay.”

 

He hadn’t even noticed himself started to get choked up nor when she started to rock them back and forth. Daniel bit his lip and forced his tears back. He wouldn’t upset the Ancient Ones further today.

 

“I’m okay now, Gwen. Thank you.”

 

She pulled back and thumbed away the one tear he had let fall by accident, smiling affectionately. Daniel couldn’t help but smile back as she stood them up, motioning toward the camp.

 

“C’mon, big guy. David’s got some activity planned that he’s super excited about.”

 

“Isn’t he excited about all his activities?’

 

Gwen gave him a look that said “Unfortunately” and the two shared a short laugh, walking back toward the camp. They walked side by side, rather than Daniel walking behind her. He clutched his shirt over his heart, wondering what the feeling spreading throughout was. It had started there and his natural instinct was try and trap it, but it moved through him before he could. It was a fuzzy feeling, warm and but not unpleasant in any way.

 

It wasn’t love, no. He knew for a fact he didn’t like Gwen that way, he didn’t like anyone that way, but something similar.

 

_ Is this….what trust is  _ **_supposed_ ** _ to feel like? _

 

Deciding that it was indeed how it was supposed to feel, Daniel gave Gwen a smile before walking up to David. He ignored the kids shuffling behind David and how it made the feeling disappear and be replaced with that same hurt feeling as before and instead gave David a smile.

 

“What do we have planned for today?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Daniel does not, in any way shape or form, have a crush on Gwen. So quit thinking that right now, buddy.  
> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com  
> Also there's a blog coming out for this AU, but I can't reveal it yet cause it'll be all spoilery.


	3. Space Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel and Space Kid watch the stars together and Daniel gets reminded of someone long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels a bit rushed to me, but I think it's because I had to figured out exactly what Space Kid could say about space without causing Daniel to have an existential crisis.  
> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com  
> Also there's a blog coming out for this AU, but I can't reveal it yet cause it'll be all spoilery.

“Alrighty, everybody! Daniel and I will clear your plates while Gwen and the Quartermaster take you to start the fire for tonights firepit time.”

 

With conversations still going, the kids filed out of the mess hall with Gwen behind them and Quartermaster in front with a flaming arrow at the ready. After eagerly waving goodbye to Gwen, Daniel began to lazily balance the trays he collected on one hand, subtly watching David out of the corner of his eye. The redhead didn’t look at him as he picked up the other five trays, holding them with both hands rather than the waiter-like way Daniel held his.

 

“So…,” Daniel began, walking behind David to the kitchen, “What’s this firepit thing?”

 

David set the trays in the sink before taking Daniel’s and doing the same, filling the sink up with water so they could be washed later.

 

“That’s right! You missed the first few!”

 

_Because you implied you didn’t want me near anything flammable, but acted like it was because I had to get my room set up_ , Daniel thought quietly, his eyes lidding in slight annoyance.

 

“It’s nothing special, really. We just sit around a fire, make s'mores, tell scary stories sometimes, sing songs if Gwen doesn’t tell me no, the usual stuff you do at a camp fire!”

 

Daniel hummed and held the door open for David, both of them walking to the already lit firepit. Daniel wanted to ask more about the camp fire, but he felt the urge to keep his mouth shut instead. He wasn’t sure why he felt like this, but he was sure it was something to do with Zeemuug and his influence, making Daniel clung to the front of his shirt over his heart as he looked at the ground. He still hadn’t done anything to get rid of the essence of those mistakes he had made a few days ago and that _must_ have something to do with the negative feelings he got whenever he was around David.

 

Once they were close enough, David’s walking picked up the pace into a light jog and he plopped down next to Gwen on an overturned log. Daniel caught up and moved to get closer so he could sit on the other side of Gwen, but he caught some of the looks the campers were giving him and he stopped in his tracks. Some looked scared, moving toward and hiding behind other campers, others like pissed, like they would kill him where he stood if David would allow it, and the remaining looked both, wanting to hurt him, but being to scared to get close to him.

 

Daniel took a step back and chose to lean against a tree instead, crossing his arms and looking out on the campers. It was still close enough for him to be illuminated by the fire’s light and feel the warmth it was giving off, but it was far away enough for the campers to settle and look away from him. He slumped against the tree for a moment before his neck cracked and he stopped up straight, shaking his head for a moment. Bad posture and slouching was yet _another_ negative influence Zeemuug was trying to infect him with, but he wouldn’t be getting Daniel. Not as long as the Ancient Ones would grant his mortal soul Ascension.

 

Daniel stared at the camp fire for longer than he would have really noticed, absolutely mesmerized by the colors and the way the flames moved, only coming back to reality when he noticed one of the campers stand up and waddle off from the rest of the group. Gwen and David either didn’t notice or didn’t care and, with how David had been watching Daniel like a hawk, it couldn’t have been the latter.

 

Daniel watched the camper, the one with the fishbowl on his head, walk to the edge of the pier before he sat down and looked up at the sky, swinging his legs idly as he pointed to the stars. With a curious hum, Daniel moved away from the tree and toward the pier, but he stopped when he felt eyes on him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw David looking at him with curious, but stern, eyes, like the eyes of a father who was sizing up his daughter’s prom date. Daniel wavered a bit before simply jutting his thumb toward the camper sitting on the pier. After a moment, David turned back to the fire and Daniel released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

 

As he walked slowly along the pier, Daniel began to be able to make out what the kid was saying.

 

“And that star’s part of…”

 

“Hey there.”

 

The kid jumped and nearly went tumbling into the water, but he gripped the pole next to him and managed to keep on the pier. Daniel felt a small surge of panic, but once the kid was safe, the feeling was gone and completely forgotten about.

 

“Oh, hey Daniel! Scared me a bit there, heh.”

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to.” _Oh great another mistake._ “You're who they just call Space Kid, right?”

 

Space Kid nodded and patted the spot next to him, an invitation to sit down with him. Though he hesitated for a moment, Daniel took the invitation and carefully sat down next to him with his legs hanging off the edge. Daniel quickly found that his legs were way too long and his shoes were nearly filled with water, but he pulled them back up and removed his shoes and socks just in time, rolling up his pant legs before gingerly easing his legs back down into the cool water. It reached a little ways passed his ankles and Daniel found himself lightly kicking his feet.

 

“So, what made you come all the way over here? Shouldn't you be back with the others?”

 

“I was just looking at the stars!”

 

Space Kid pointed and Daniel's eyes followed, but the moment he saw all those stars and the dark sky, he grimaced. Space was where negative emotions came from and he had to look down before Zeemuug got a clear shot at him, he already had enough negative emotions and he didn’t need to displease the Ancient Ones with even more.  


“You know, that’s dangerous to do.”

 

“How come?”

 

“Didn’t I tell you the last time I was here,” Daniel said a little too eerily, his neck cracking a little. “Negative emotions come from space, kiddo. It’s dangerous to look at the stars or even the night sky.”

 

Space Kid’s eyes sparkled for a moment, as if he was starting to believe Daniel again, before he blinked and his face turned confused.

 

“Wait a minute. That doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Oh, well allow me to explain. When Zeemuug and the Galactic Confederacy started the Millenia Wars, it-”

 

“No, not that. I mean, I looked it up on David’s computer and there’s no way it can be dangerous to look at the stars.

 

Daniel’s eyes widened a bit and he tilted his head, producing no cracking sound as he raised a questioning eyebrow. Space Kid smiled and pointed up, directing Daniel’s reluctant attention back up to the stars.

 

“Stars are made of mostly hydrogen and helium that’s sorta always on fire, but since they’re so far away, there’s no way we can be hurt by looking at them!”

 

Daniel opened his mouth to counter, to say that stars were just another negative side effect of the Millenia Wars and not all that stuff, but Space Kid cut him off.

 

“They’re just really pretty big balls of exploding gas millions of miles away from Earth! Pretty cool, right?”

 

“I guess,” it sounded more like a question than it did anything, “But what about constellations? The warriors Zeemuug and the Galactic Confederacy selected to instigate the Millenia Wars in the first place?”

 

Space Kid let out a snort of laughter and Daniel couldn’t help but pout a little. Space Kid scooted closer and clung to Daniel’s arm, Daniel’s eyes widening as another warm, almost protective type feeling started in his chest and he reached his hand up to clutch his shirt. Space Kid pointed up and Daniel found himself looking up without a lot less fear and doubt than before.

 

“I’m not sure if _that’s_ why constellations exist, but I’m open to everyone’s way of thinking when it comes to space! To me, I think constellations exist because astronomers back in the old days just needed a way of categorizing the stars! If the stars were categorized, then finding their way with the sky became easier!”

 

Daniel hummed, showing he was still listening. That was one way to look at it, he supposed. Not the _right_ way, but whatever. Space Kid suddenly shook his arm and Daniel looked down at him in an instant, being met with wide and excited eyes. Once again, that protective feeling started in his chest and Daniel clutched his shirt, wondering just what it was he was feeling.

 

_At least it isn’t negative. Maybe Zeemuug is actually leaving me alone for once._

 

“Did you know stars have names,” Space Kid asked him, smiling widely with stars in his own eyes.

 

_Yes. It makes it easier for Zeemuug to decide which person from my family he’s gonna terrorize next._ Is what Daniel wanted to say, but he chose to keep quiet.

 

“Really,” he asked instead, trying to act like his own excitement was rising like Space Kid’s. “Can you tell me a few?”

 

“Uh-huh! Uh-huh!” Space Kid looked up and Daniel did as well. “That one’s, uh, Sirius! And thaaaat’s, Murzim. And that’s…”

 

Daniel was still listening, but not completely, looking away from the stars to look at Space Kid instead. Watching the boy eagerly point out stars and name them filled his chest with a feeling that he felt he was already supposed to know, as if he had felt it before. Daniel thought hard, squinting at Space Kid as he tried to place the feeling in his memory. Suddenly, it clicked and Daniel’s eyes widened. He had felt the same thing years before, back when he was a little boy, even younger than most of the campers. A feeling he would get when he lead his little brothers and sisters around the church, taking them on a make believe adventure about defeating Zeemuug and the Galactic Confederacy and reaching instant Ascension.

 

But, now he was relating the feeling to a kid that told him things that _countered_ his beliefs, everything he had been taught. Admittedly, Daniel didn’t believe any of what he was being told, but the kid almost seemed to...accept it? As if he figured he wouldn’t be able to change Daniel’s views before they even started the conversation. It was strange to say the least. This was the kid that immediately believed it when Daniel preached the first time he arrived, accepting what he was being told in an instant. Now, he wasn’t exactly accepting the words, but he wasn’t deflecting them either.

 

“Daniel! Are you listening?”

 

“Hm?” Daniel startled. “Oh! Yes! You were at Betelgeuse?”

 

“Yeah, but I wanted to ask if you wanted make up constellations with me!”

 

Daniel almost declined, wanting to say that only Zeemuug made constellations and therefore warriors, but he stopped himself. David said to earn the campers trust, right, and this seemed like the way to do it when it came to this kid. Despite that he was trying to reassure himself that what he was doing wasn’t wrong and that mistakes were okay, the thought of doing something like giving Zeemuug ideas for warriors made his heart clench and he immediately wanted to throw up into the lake, but he forced a smile onto his face and nodded.

 

“Sure,” he said, keeping his voice from wavering.

 

Space Kid grinned from ear to ear before he looked up to start stitching stars together, but David’s voice rang out before either of them could even select a star.

 

“C’mon, you two! Time for bed!”

 

While Daniel was relieved to not go against the Ancient Ones, he also felt a bit...disappointed? Chalking it up to yet _another_ one of Zeemuug’s attempts, Daniel stood up and tucked his shoes under his arm, motioning for Space Kid to follow as he began to walk.

 

“Don’t worry, Daniel! We can just make up constellations tomorrow!”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened and he sighed through his nose, realizing he wouldn’t be getting out of this like he had hoped. Instead of showing his displeasure, Daniel smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to Space Kid as he ran off to his tent. David smiled after Space Kid and gave Daniel a pat on the back as he walked by, walking with him back to the counselor cabin.

 

“You’re doing a great job, Daniel,” David said, holding the door open from them.

 

Daniel only hummed in response as he walked in and took down the short hallway to the room he had been given. There was nothing special inside, just a bed, a desk, and a dresser like the other two rooms had, but unlike Gwen and David’s rooms, there was nothing that made the room _his_. Daniel set his shoes aside and began rummaging through the drawers, looking for something to sleep in, but his eyes drifted the closed blinds over his window. Admittedly, he couldn’t see much since his lamp wasn’t on, but he wouldn’t risk Zeemuug trying to get to him in his sleep, his most vulnerable state.

 

Still, Daniel thought back to how animatedly Space Kid had talked about the stars to him. Slowly, he moved to the window and parted the blinds a little bit, allowing a sliver of moonlight inside the small room. He glanced at the stars before he turned away and changed into his pajamas, kneeling by his bedside and praying to the Ancient Ones without his palms pressed together. It was the way to pray when he wanted to be respectful of them, but he didn’t want them to hear his message, since he was still riddled with Zeemuug’s essence.

 

Daniel bit back a yawn and climbed under the paper thin blanket the camp provided, falling asleep almost instantly. He would never admit to his dream of floating in the stars and actually enjoying it.

 

The next day, Daniel couldn’t stop himself from glancing at the sky, impatiently waiting for the sun to go down. All day he scolded himself for succumbing to the influence of impatience and told himself that it didn’t matter if he went to the firepit or not. Still, he caught himself wondering what constellations he would make whenever he was absentmindedly watching the kids.

 

Finally, dinner rolled around and ended just as quickly, leaving Daniel and Gwen to clean up this time. Daniel quickly collected all the trays and balanced them easily on one hand, practically skipping to the kitchen and dumping them in the sink.

 

“Daniel, are you trying to treat me like a queen again?”

 

“Hm,” Daniel asked as he turned on the water, “Oh, no! I’m just trying to get out the firepit.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I told Space Kid that we’d make constellations together yesterday,” Daniel said without thinking, cutting the water. Though, even if he had thought before he spoke, he wouldn't lie to Gwen.

 

“That’s right, you two did sit on the pier yesterday,” Gwen said, walking out of the messhall with Daniel in tow. “You two seem like good friends.”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened a bit when Gwen claimed he and Space Kid were friends, but he brushed it off just as quickly. Before he could say anything, she pat his shoulder and broke off from him to sit next to David at the campfire, the redhead slowly strumming away at his guitar. Daniel hummed along with the music as he walked passed the campfire entirely, stepping out onto the pier and taking off his shoes. Once his pant legs were rolled up and his feet were lightly moving back and forth in the water, Daniel looked out on the lake instead of up at the stars.

 

Moonlight glittered across the water as the light breeze caused small waves and tousled his hair. Daniel sighed and put his elbows on his knees, putting his head in his hands and focusing on nothing in particular as he began to think. He was only out here so he could earn Space Kid’s trust, a simple requirement of David’s if he didn’t want to get sent back to jail. He didn’t want to befriend him or any of the other campers...right?

 

“Daniel!”

 

Daniel was snapped out of his thoughts by Space Kid’s shouting and his thumping footsteps against the creaky old pier. He turned around to see the boy running up to him and waving something around in both hands, stopping when he reached the end of the pier and sitting down as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Here,” Space Kid said once he was able to breath again.

 

Space Kid held a small journal and pencil out to him and Daniel took it in his hands carefully. It wasn’t anything special, just a simple bright blue hardcover journal and the pencil had cute little star patterns, but Daniel held it tightly in his hands regardless. When was the last time someone had given him anything? Even though Space Kid went against the Ancient Ones, Daniel was always taught to treasure gifts.

 

“Look, I got one too! David took me to buy them in town earlier.”

 

Space Kid held up his journal, which was dark yellow in color, with a smile that Daniel couldn’t help but return.

 

“You ready to make constellations?”

 

Daniel nodded and the two flipped open their journals.

 

“I’ll go first,” Space Kid said, eyes scanning the stars.

 

Using his pencil as a pointer, Space Kid pointed out a set of eight stars at that looked like dragon and they both quickly scribbled down the design on the first page of their journals. Space Kid decided to call the constellation “Fire Breather” before he turned to Daniel with stars in his eyes.

 

“Now you go!”

 

“Oh, um…”

 

Daniel scanned the stars, pointing out five stars that looked like a bell of sorts. Daniel drew his sketch underneath “Fire Breather” and he couldn’t help but smile a little at the sight of the two designs.

 

“That’s a good one! You’re a natural at this Daniel!”

 

Daniel smiled and gave the constellation the name of “Dead Ringer” before turning back to the night sky. For the rest of the hour and a half, the two of them went back and forth, tracing and naming their made up constellations. They filled ten pages front and back with the silly star patterns, laughing at names and shapes alike.

 

It was Space Kid’s turn once more and Daniel looked away to look down at Space Kid. Daniel tilted his head as he began to wonder just why this kid gave him a very distinct feeling of protectiveness. Was it because he seemed like he couldn’t take care of himself? Maybe it was because he was a kid? Daniel squinted the longer he thought, thankful that Space Kid was carefully picking out stars and had his attention focused elsewhere. What _was_ it?

 

Daniel caught sight of his own reflection in the water and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Back when he was a boy and was playing captain to all his little siblings, there was one of them that he always had at his side, the one he wholeheartedly believed to be his blood brother even though they looked nothing alike. A young boy whose name he can’t remember anymore, but he had the same excitement and personality of Space Kid before him. The two of them were always seen playing together and the boy was always animatedly talking about how they would reach Ascension together.

 

But then he just disappeared.

 

Daniel had asked for days where his little brother had gone, but the Higher Ups never answered back, saying it was irrelevant to his training as the future leader. Soon, Daniel forgot about him entirely, but that didn’t stop him from being racked with secret panic until the boy slipped his mind completely.

 

Looking at Space Kid and remembering the boy he called his brother, Daniel felt his heart swell with the same protective and warm feeling. He didn’t want this kid to disappear like his little brother had, he didn’t want to feel like that again. Panic was a negative feeling and negative feelings were bad.

 

Daniel looked down at the page where he was sketching out the constellation Space Kid pointed out, having been half-listening enough to know what he was being instructed to draw. He tucked his pencil behind his ear as he began to slowly flip through the previous pages, looking at each constellation in turn. They were potential warriors of Zeemuug and the Galactic Confederacy, Daniel knew, but no matter how hard he tried, Daniel just couldn’t bring himself to be all that concerned.

 

For some strange reason that he couldn’t entirely place, Daniel felt that Space Kid was more important than whatever Zeemuug could potentially weaken him with.

 

“Your turn, Daniel!” Space Kid announced after he connected the final two dots.

 

Daniel tapped his pencil against his bottom lip as he looked at the sky, but before they knew it, David was calling and shouting at them that it was time for bed.

 

“Awww man. At least it was fun while it lasted! Do you think we could do this again tomorrow,” Space Kid asked, skipping next to Daniel as they walked along the pier.

 

Daniel hummed as he held his journal to his chest, looking at Space Kid with a smile.

 

“I don’t see why not.”

 

Space Kid let out a cheer and hugged Daniel’s leg before scampering off to his tent. Daniel waved goodbye to him, smiling a bit wider than yesterday as he walked up to David.

 

“Aww! Look at you, making friends!”

 

Daniel forced himself to scoff and roll his eyes.

 

“Please. I’m just doing what you said since I’m not particularly fond of jail. I’m just earning his trust.”

 

Daniel crossed his arms and tried to look aloof and nonchalant, but when David started laughing, he couldn’t help but jump a bit in surprise. David covered his mouth to stifle his giggles, waving his hand as he tried to get himself under control.

 

“Sorry, sorry, it was mean of me to laugh. Daniel! Space Kid already trusted you the moment he first saw Gwen pat you on the back after you first got here. Why do you think he was so comfortable around you in the first place?”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened slowly and his mouth fell open. David wrapped his arm around Daniel’s shoulders, but kept space between them and the grip on his shoulder was light, but still noticeable.

 

“I guess I should have known that. He never truly seemed...uneasy around me,” Daniel said, walking alongside David as he began leading them to counselor’s cabin.

 

David simply gave him a happy hum and pat his shoulder, letting go to hold the door open for them. David bid him goodnight and Daniel hesitated before saying it back for once, walking into his own room and turning the light on. He placed the journal and pencil on his desk before he turned to the drawers and began looking for something to sleep in, changing into the clothes he picked and turning off the light as he lifted the blanket to climb into bed.

 

Daniel hesitated though, his hand hovering with the blanket still in his grasp. Slowly, his attention turned to the journal on his desk and the sliver of moonlight coming in from his barely parted blinds shining on it.

 

With quiet and careful steps, Daniel walked over to his blinds and grabbed them in either hand. He worried at his lip as he shut his eyes tightly, his hands shaking before he yanked them open and allowed moonlight to bathe over him and illuminate the room. He carefully opened his eyes, gazing up at the night sky.

 

_If….If he can trust me, I can trust him…Space can't be **that** bad if someone can be so excited about it._

 

Daniel let go of both the blinds and the breath he was holding, backing away from them and going back toward his bed. He climbed under the blankets and sighed, burying his face in the flat pillow and falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com  
> Also there's a blog coming out for this AU, but I can't reveal it yet cause it'll be all spoilery.


	4. Nerris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S NOT DEAD ME HAHA  
> THIS CHAPTER FEEL RUSHED AS HELL PLEASE KILL ME LMAO

Daniel sighed as he looked away from the position of the sun, crossing his arms as he began walking away from the messhall. It would be another few hours before they gathered for the firepit and Daniel was already ready to make more constellations. He had been making them with Space Kid for only a few days, but their journals were already a little bit passed half full with star patterns.

 

He didn't want to go into the counselor's cabin and bother Gwen with his boredom either, she was catching up on the latest Teen Moms on a deal with David that she collect and wash all the trays by herself this evening. 

 

“For a summer camp, this place sure is boring on Saturday…”

 

“Magic Missile!”

 

Daniel's attention turned to where a voice lisped out the command loudly. Looking over his shoulder at the play area, Daniel focused on where the little girl wearing a cape and a pointed hat was, kneeling over a board. With an interested hum, Daniel turned and began walking.

 

Nerris threw down the dice and squinted at it before she jumped up.

 

“It's a critical hit!”

 

“Sooo...what’s all this?”

 

Nerris screamed as she whipped around, coming face to face with Daniel, who was leaning over her with his hands behind his back. She tried to look angry and fierce, but she only really succeeded in looking scared and a little panicked. Daniel took half a step back and his face changed to one of concern as he leaned up a bit, his hand clutching his shirt as he did so. He felt a pang of something  _ negative  _ as she scurried away from him a bit, but he chose to ignore it.

 

Nerris eyed him up and down, remembering the exact words he had told where when he asked him to further explain the religious righteousness he was spouting the first time he was there and the eerie smile he had on his face as he spoke them.

 

_ “You like games, don't you, Nerris? Well, when I was no older than you, I used to play this game with my brothers and sisters called “Defend from Descend!” In the game, you go through several adventurous levels before you come to the final door. You have to have the ingredients to make this magical and wonderful elixir so you can ascend to your final and most pure form and defeat the final boss! Can you help make the elixir?” _

 

But this time, the smile he gave her was genuinely curious, if not a bit worried. She looked at her dice clutched to her chest before looking back at her D&D board behind her. While it  _ would _ be nice to have a second player for once and she  _ had  _ seen Space Kid hanging out with him, Nerris still worried at her lip as she glanced between the dice and Daniel once more.

 

“I-It’s okay if you don’t want to explain!” Daniel said suddenly, making Nerris jump again. He had grown just as nervous and anxious as her the longer he watched her worriedly look between her items and him and he wanted the feeling to go away. 

 

“I’ll just go see how Space Kid is doing with his rocket ship,” Daniel turned and began walking  away briskly on stiff legs.

 

“Wait!” 

 

Daniel stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at Nerris, who was running up to him. She stopped short when she got to him, leaning against his leg a little as she caught her breath. Daniel had started to lean down and place a hand on her back, but he pulled his hand back at the last second, placing it behind his back instead.

 

“I suppose you can play with me. Just this once.”

 

Daniel smiled and nodded, “Just this once.”

 

Nerris eyed him and his smile warily before she turned and walked back to her board, Daniel padding after her like a curious puppy in a new home. She plopped down and pointed roughly at the place across from her, Daniel gingerly sitting down on the ground and staring the board even more curiously now that he could see it clearly.

 

“Here.”

 

Daniel looked up as a paper and pencil was shoved in his face. He flinched a little, not expecting it, before taking the items and looking at Nerris for an explanation.

 

“Fill out everything I’ve marked on the paper then give it back to me and I’ll take care of the rest. You can write literally anything you want.”

 

David hummed once again before his attention cast back down to the paper in his hand. Deciding it would be harder to write in his current position, Daniel pulled his legs out from their crossed position and laid on his stomach instead, kicking his feet lightly as he began to fill out the sheet.

 

After a few minutes, Daniel sat back up and handed the paper back to Nerris, who snatched it and scanned over it with what she hoped was annoyance.

 

“Danny the vampire swordsman, huh? Creative,  _ I guess _ .”

 

Choosing to ignore the slight bite to her tone, Daniel gave her a pleased smile and tucked the pencil behind his ear as he watched her begin to roll dice and write things in. 

 

“What’re you doing now?”

 

“Rolling for your stats.”

 

Daniel tilted his head in confusion and intrigue, leaning forward to glance at the numbers being put on the paper. Soon, Nerris set the dice and character sheet aside, adjusting her glasses as she looked up at him.

 

“Alright, Daniel. Before we can truly begin this adventure, allow me to explain the story behind this campaign.”

 

Daniel nodded and leaned forward to show that he was listening. Nerris leaned back a little, glowering at him before she began to explain.

 

“You and I are great adventurers that have been sent to explore an ancient castle that the village people claim to be haunted with the ghosts of the former family that used to live there. We’ve already stocked up on supplies and such, so we’re basically already at the castle. It’s a pretty generic and extremely short plot, honestly, but you’re a newbie. No need to throw something complicated at you.”

 

Daniel hummed as he thought about what he’s been told, immediately relating it to the story the Higher Ups used to tell about how the Ascendeds went to a castle Zeemuug had possessed and tainted with his negativity. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of the fiend, Daniel decided to focus on the strange game before him instead. He had chosen to do this because he had nothing better to do, so he might as well commit to it a  _ little _ .

 

“I’ll take the first move,” Nerris said, setting a small notebook in her lap, “I open the door to the castle and look around for any immediate danger.” 

 

Nerris rolled a die across the board and they both looked down at it, Daniel with confusion and Nerris with a wide smile.

 

“17! The door opens and the area is scanned. No danger is found. Your turn.”

 

“Oh! Uh, I...walk inside…?”

 

Nerris gave him a bit of an unimpressed look but rolled anyway, giving him a bit of a smirk as she looks up from the die.

 

“5. You walk inside, but end up stumbling over your coat tails a little, leading to an embarrassing fall.”

 

Daniel pouted as he heard this, rolling his eyes as Nerris continued to giggle about the outcome. Little did he know, the roll was completely unnecessary, the young girl just wanting to cause him a bit of annoyance.

 

“As we walk into the castle, you noticed just how dimly lit the whole place is, but that truly bothers neither of us. We entered the foyer of the abandoned mansion and are faced with two options. Go up the decaying stairs  _ or _ investigate the area around us.”

 

Nerris hummed as she thought about her choice, unaware of Daniel leaning forward slightly to hear her decision. She was the leader of the game after all.

 

“I choose to go up the stairs! Do you follow?”

 

Daniel nodded and Nerris hummed once again, leaning back on her hands.

 

“We traverse up the stairs together, the old wood creaking beneath our boots. A raspy voice croans out from the darkness, ‘You shouldn’t have come here.’ and we freeze, looking all about for the source.”

 

_ Zeemuug, _ Daniel thought quietly, listening with rapt attention.

 

“Do you call out into the darkness or stay silent?”

 

“I...call out. Ask if it’s Ze-um-! I meant if o-one of the members of the family.”

 

Nerris cocked an eyebrow at his stutter, but cleared her throat regardless. Daniel wheezed through his teeth, shaking his head a bit to take Zeemuug off his mind.

 

“‘Yes, I am. Along with my son.’ It replies. ‘What business do you have here?’ I speak up, not wanting to anger the ghost, ‘We are only here to check out the noise disturbance.’ Almost instantly, the house shakes with laughter, nearly knocking us off balance as the stairs begin to crumble. We rush up them as fast as we can, throwing ourselves onto the third floor. With the stairs gone, we’re stuck up here. What’s your first action?”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened as he replayed everything that he had just been told. Honestly, he would never considered himself having a large imagination, but the scene painted within his mind by Nerris’ words was clear and surprisingly vivid. Sitting up straighter and getting more comfortable, Daniel hummed to himself.

 

“I look around the room, of course.”

 

Nerris nodded as she handed him dice, snickering when Daniel gave her a curious look. For a moment, his eyes scanned over the blue twenty sided die for a moment longer before it clicked and he rolled it. They both watched it tumble before it landed with a bright white 15 pointing toward the sky.

 

“15,” Daniel called cheerfully before he paused. “Is that good?”

 

“Quite! As you gaze around the room, you notice a few chests and trunks strewn about the room. You could investigate them or you could go see what that glowing blue light is in the corner.”

 

Daniel’s eyes abscently scanned the ground as he weighed the options been given to him, listing off the pros and cons of both before shrugging.

 

“I investigate the blue light.”

 

Fear started to etch at Daniel’s heart as Nerris smirked evilly, her eyes seeming to glow with a force that he had only see drawn within the eyes of the worst demons within the Ancient Ones book. 

 

“You walk over to the blue light as I walk over to the chests. While I open the chests, you move around some furniture and peek over to find a small ghost kid. He’s huddled up and shaking in the corner, but you can’t see his face. You notice that I’m not paying attention, do you engage while my back is turned or do you wait for me?”

 

“I wait for you,” Daniel answered, almost immediately. “You’re the leader, so I’ll wait.”

 

“O...kay, but just between DM and player, you can do what you want regardless of what I’m doing. You’ve been following my character about since we started.”

 

“I….can? But..y-you’re the leader, wouldn’t I have to wait for you and follow what you say?”

 

Nerris shrugged, “Just because my character is the leader doesn’t mean you  _ have  _ to listen. What’s life without a little rebelliousness? I mean, aren’t you the leader of your freaky weird cult thing?”

 

Daniel opened and closed his mouth for a second, fishing for what to say in the emptiness of his mind. He quieted as he put a finger to his chin, his pupils growing larger with each passing second as he lost himself more and more in his thoughts. Rebel? Against the leader? That was unheard of, especially where he came from, but Nerris was right. He  _ was _ the leader, having been for two years now, but he’d been lying if he said he had the horrifying passing thought of becoming a Fallen One. Daniel shuddered for a moment as the corners of his vision darkened, the very idea shaking him to his core. Rebelling was bad. Rebelling was always bad. Rebelling lead to-

 

“Daniel?”

 

Daniel’s head snapped up as Nerris called his name, neck crack and all. It took a moment for his vision to refocus, but when it did, he found Nerris looking up at him with a confused and concerned expression. He blinked, once, twice, before shaking his head, his pupils returning to their normal size as he sighed. It was just a game. He wasn’t going to become a Fallen One for rebelling in a game….right? Regardless, Daniel cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fact that a game as simple as this was making him question the own rock solid teachings hammered into his head.

 

“I ask the child if they’re alright.”

 

Nerris’ worried smile shifted into a lighter one before she snickered devilishly.

 

“When you reach your hand out to grasp the ghost boys shoulder, I notice you not beside me and turn around to stop you, but it’s too late! Your hand, of course, falls through the ghost boy, but he whips around anyway, showing a terrifyingly misshapen face with hundreds of teeth and eyes within the mouths scattered around his head.”

 

_ “Well shoot,” _ Daniel thought to himself, slumping.  _ “This is what rebelling leads to?” _

 

“The boy’s neck snaps as his body twists and conforms into something reminiscent of a spider and we both shriek as he climbs on the walls, hissing at us like the demon it is! I immediately cast Spectral Flames foooooor….” They both watched as she rolled the dice. “17 points of damage! What do you do?”

 

“W-Well, what  _ can _ I do?”

 

Nerris handed him back his character sheet, pointing to one of the few boxes on it.

 

“These are you spells! You can cast one  _ or _ you can attack with your sword! Which do you do?”

 

Daniel’s eyes scanned over the paper as quickly as he could manage, completely unaware of what a single word on the paper meant. Deciding to give up, Daniel carefully set the paper aside, thinking to himself instead.

 

“I attack with my sword.”

 

“You levitate and take a swing, but your sword glides straight through him without him taking a single point of damage. He screeches as you get discombobulated, causing you to fall back down to the ground. I quickly cast Spectral Flames once more, causing anotheeeer...5 points of damage, aw man.”

 

Daniel let a small snicker slip passed his lips at her slight misfortune and she pouted at him for it, but the two quickly shake off the squabble in favor of getting back to the game. Daniel drummed his fingers on his knees as he thought, unable to figure a way to harm the monster when his sword was completely useless.

 

“Daniel!” Though his head didn’t move, Daniel did look up at Nerris. “Think outside the box! You’re a vampire! An undead vampire! Can’t you do anything with that?”

 

Daniel’s mind raced with thoughts for a moment longer before he snapped his fingers, clearly happy with whatever idea had popped into his head. 

 

“I take off my gloves and grab the ghost! I’m undead right? That means I should be able to grab other ghouls and ghosts and stuff.”

 

Nerris beamed as she heard this, pleased with him finally showing some proper creativity.

 

“You hastily rip off your gloves and rocket upward, wrapping your hands around his neck and using your weight to yank him off the ceiling. You throw him while you’re at it, dealing….14 points of damage!”

 

Daniel celebrated his high damage with a quiet, “Yes!”, while Nerris chuckled to herself before clearing her throat to continue to story.

 

“The boy tries to rush at us, but you crack your knuckles, showing that you aren’t afraid anymore. He backs immediately, snarling, but keeping his distance. He doesn’t say anything as he removes a key from around his neck, turning and unlocking a door behind him. As we walk to it, the boy whispers, ‘He’ll kill you.” before running off and disappearing. We both shrug as we heed the warning, before walking into the open door.”

 

By now, Daniel was more into the story at hand. Him scooting forward and leaning toward her more didn’t go unnoticed by Nerris and she couldn’t help but smile, pausing to look at him.

 

“You know, you’re one of the most attentive players I’ve ever had, Daniel!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah! Everyone else thinks this is lame, but you actually seem like you wanna play.”

 

“Of course I wanna play!” Daniel smiled and, for once, Nerris didn’t feel unnerved by the sight of it. “This is fun! But...I have a question.”

 

Nerris nodded and Daniel sighed to himself for a moment.

 

“Why did you tell me to rebel like that? I rebelled and I activated a monster!”

 

For a moment, Nerris simply stared at Daniel before her nose scrunched up in a poor attempt to contain her snort. She started laughing, reaching out and patting his knee.

 

“Yeah, you did, but because you did that we found out how to progress to the next room! We would have been in there for ages if you hadn’t done your own thing. You did good, Daniel!”

 

_ Good _ , Daniel thought, tilting his head.  _ I...did something good. _

 

Daniel clutched his shirt over his chest as he thought about this. He had thought he messed up and caused a problem, but that problem turned out to be the solution. It was...confusing, admittedly, but Daniel wouldn’t deny that it was intriguing. He always had a protocol to follow, a series of rules and regulations that had been with him for as long as he couldn't remember. He never thought doing things off the rule book could actually turn out alright…

 

“Hey! Daniel!”

 

Daniel jumped when Nerris suddenly snapped her fingers in front of his face.

 

“Wh-Yes?”

 

“You zone out a lot.”

 

While Daniel simply tittered sheepishly, Nerris tosses a few dice in her hand.

 

“Shall we continue? We are at the door to the final boss.”

 

With a nod from Daniel and a determined smile from Nerris, the two focused back on the game.

 

Unknown to either of them, David had been watching the entire time. He had grown wary the moment Daniel had leaned over Nerris in the first place, but know he leaned against the counselors cabin with a fond smile on his face. He looked down at the sudden pull of his pant leg, looking down to see Max. Automatically, he slid down until he was sitting, making him level with Max’s height.

 

“Weren’t you hanging out with Neil and Nikki?”

 

“I was,” Max plopped down next to David, looking at Nerris and Daniel curiously. “But then I saw  _ that _ .”

 

“It’s nice isn’t it?”

 

Max cocked an eyebrow at David, looking at his happy smile with nothing but the purest confusion.

 

“The hell is nice? I thought you hated Daniel?”

 

“Hate is a strong word, Max.” David pretended not to notice Max giving him his signature “That’s bullshit” eyes. “But you’re right, I still don’t like Daniel. When I say it’s nice, I mean Nerris finally getting someone to play with. It makes her happy so I’m happy.”

 

“What about Daniel?”

 

David made a noise, some sarcastic mix between a snort and a scoff, and didn’t give an answer. Just as Max opened to his mouth to pester him further, the sight of Daniel and Nerris jumping up from their seats on the ground caught their attention.

 

“The demon staggers as I cast Lightning Bolt for 15 more points of damage!” Nerris said, acting as if she was actually casting a spell. “He’s nearly finished! What do you do, Danny?”

 

“I use my sword to stab the demon straight through,” Daniel called, stabbing at the air as if he actually had a sword in his hands.

 

Nerris suddenly leaned over and grabbed Daniel’s hand, placing the twenty sided die in Daniel’s hand. She didn’t say a word as she nodded to him and he nodded back, shaking his hand before tossing the dice down onto the board. They both leaned down, eyes wide at the sight of the white 20 facing upward.

 

“Daniel! You let out a battle cry as you rush forward, jutting your sword straight through the demon and impaling it above you. He coughs as his blood drips down your blade and I walk over, snatching the necklace from around its neck and ending the curse the demon had on the family that lives in the house!”

 

Daniel jumped in the air at hearing this, pumping his fist and cheering to himself. After a moment, he paused and realized what he was doing, clearing his throat and ignoring the laughter from Nerris.

 

“I’ve never gotten into a game like that before. It was fun, so much in fact I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. Your enthusiasm for this game is infectious.”

 

Nerris scoffed and waved him off, a smile on her face regardless.

 

“Well, when you’ve been playing it as long as I have, you tend to get into it a little bit more than others.”

 

“Hey, you two!”   
  


They looked up to see David waving at them, pointing at the dusky sky.

 

“It’s almost time for the campfire! You guys should pack that up now so you aren’t late, okay?”

 

After they had both called back an, “Okay!”, they bent down and began packing the bits and pieces into the box. With the box tucked neatly under her arm, the two of them began walking over to the castle tower to put it away.

 

“Do you think we can play again tomorrow?”

 

Daniel looked down at her with surprise, smiling a bit.

 

“You sure? I am just a ‘newbie’, after all.”

 

Daniel laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him, placing the box in the tower before shutting the door. He snickered himself before he turned and began walking toward the campfire, but Nerris pulling on his pant leg stopped him.

 

“Here!”

 

She was holding out a small satin bag with golden strings. Gently, he took the bag from her and opened it, surprised to find the same blue and white dice she had used before.

 

“Your dice? But don’t you need these?”

 

“Oh please, I have countless sets. Giving you one bag isn’t gonna kill me, Daniel. Besides, your going to need them if you’re going to continue playing.”

 

Before Daniel could insist she take them back, Nerris had already run off ahead of him and toward the others. He look at the dice for a moment longer before he simply smiled and stuffed them in his pocket, calling for her to go on ahead while he went to go get something from his room. Once he had gotten a nod from her, he raced off toward the counselors cabin.

 

Daniel hummed as he opened the door to his room, walking over to his desk where his blue journal lay. Taking the dice out of his pocket, he went to set hem down and grab his journal, but he stopped for a moment as he held both the items in his hand. Two kids so far had developed trust for him and they had both taught him something different, even if they hadn’t known they were doing so. He had found himself admittedly trusting them in return and being happy with their presence and company. It was a foreign thing, what he was feeling, but he sure as hell didn’t think it to be a bad thing.

 

Even if he still felt the swirling essence of Zeemuug in his chest and the scornful gaze of the Ancient ones on his back. 

 

Shaking his head to clear himself of the crushing fear he felt for his own Ascension, Daniel placed the bag of dice down and picked up his journal, running back out the fire pit and walking out onto the dock with Space Kid.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I don't get attached to Daniel cause if I do it's gonna be a problem.  
> Hey you guys should check out my blog which has borderline nothing to do with this story: fluffy-camp-counselor.tumblr.com


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